The present invention relates generally to agricultural machinery and more particularly to an apparatus and method for pivoting the attachment sides of an agricultural harvesting machine having a multiple-part attachment, wherein the attachment sides are pivotable from a working position to a non-working position.
German Patent Publication No. 41 31 491 A1 discloses a multi-part front attachment of an agricultural machine for the harvesting of stalk crops. The attachment has sides that can be pivoted from a working position to a transport position, thus reducing its width for easier transport. The attachment sides are moved into the transport position by means of a carriage guide in cooperation with pivot shafts. When in the transport position, the attachment sides are nearly vertical. Such an arrangement of the attachment sides places an increased load on the agricultural machine due to the fact the attachment sides are at a great distance from the center of gravity. A better arrangement would be to locate the attachment sides in a nearly horizontal position over the non-pivotable center portion of the attachment. However, the outer feeder housings of the attachment sides are usually of such width to prevent this type of arrangement. Smaller outer feeder housings may be used to overcome this problem, but this reduces the working width of the attachment.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
It is an object of the invention to develop a method and an apparatus for pivoting multiple-part attachments from a working position into a non-working position that has a permissible transport width. The multiple-part attachment should have feeder housings flanged outwardly in the working position and yet allow pivoting of the side portions into a transport position located above the non-pivotable center portion without the side portions colliding into each other.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a multiple-part attachment for an agricultural machine including a main frame having a plurality of inner row crop dividers; first and second side frames each having a plurality of inner row crop dividers and an outer row crop divider; means for moving the first side frame and the second side frame from a working position to a non-working position in which the side frames overlie the main frame; and at least one adjusting device on each side frame and associated with its respective outer row crop divider for moving the outer row crop divider relative to its adjacent inner row crop divider as the side frames move between the working and non-working positions.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of moving side frames of a multiple-part frame attachment of an agricultural machine, the multiple-part frame including a central frame portion comprising about half of the total width of the frame and first and second side frame portions each comprising about one-quarter of the total width of the frame, the frame carrying a plurality of row crop dividers including outer row crop dividers at the distal end of each side frame, the method comprising the steps of: pivoting the first side frame and the second side frame from a lower working position to an upper non-working position in which the side frames overlie the central frame portion; and moving the outermost divider of each side frame toward its adjacent inner row crop divider so that the outermost dividers do not interfere in the non-working position.
Because the outer divider is movable relative to the adjacent inner divider when the side frames move from a working position to a non-working position, the outer dividers will not collide with each other when in the transport position and the feeder housings can achieve a greater working width when in the working position. The angle of opening between the outer divider and the adjacent inner divider can be varied to achieve a desirable attachment width.
An advantageous embodiment is achieved if the variation in the angle of opening is effected automatically, so that the carrier vehicle driver is not burdened with external actuation of adjusting members.
A particularly cheap embodiment of this apparatus is achieved if the variation in the angle of opening is effected passively, so that cost-intensive, actively driven adjusting members, such as lifting cylinders, can be eliminated.
While the side frames move into the non-working position, the angle of opening between the respective outer row crop divider and the adjacent inner row crop divider decreases so that when the side frames reach the non-working position the respective outer row crop dividers do not extend beyond the edges of the respective side frames.
A relatively simple version of the invention is achieved if the outer row crop dividers of the side frames are each associated with an adjusting device which performs the relative movement of the outer row crop dividers relative to the adjacent inner row crop dividers.
A structurally simple, space-saving and cheap apparatus for carrying out the invention is achieved if the adjusting device is in two parts, wherein the two parts, or adjusting units, are connected to each other by a vertical pivot shaft, a horizontal pivot shaft, and a coupling element.
The relative movement of the outer row crop dividers can be controlled by the adjusting units, wherein one of the adjusting units has a profile with a slideway, wherein the coupling element is guided by the slideway and in the process forces both a horizontal and a vertical movement.
Stops may be employed to limit the angle between the outer row crop divider and the adjacent inner row crop divider to a specific range.
In a simple embodiment of the coupling element, the coupling element is constructed as a guide rod.
In another aspect of the invention, the profile can be pivotable and lockable in different positions on the associated adjusting unit, so that the position of the slideway varies relative to the coupling element. The ability to obtain different pivot ranges is of particular importance. A small pivot range for the outer row crop divider would be desirable to reduce wear. However, a greater pivot range must be set whenever additional devices known in the art are associated with the outer row crop dividers.
To increase the stability of the outer row crop dividers in the working position, the front adjusting unit can be locked into position by securing means, such as screw connections.
To reduce the impact loads applied to the front attachment while working in the field and on pivoting of the side frames, both the pivot movement of the front adjusting unit about the pivot shaft arranged on the rear adjusting unit, and the pivot movement of the outer row crop dividers about the pivot shaft arranged on the side frames can be damped by suitable means.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a multiple-part front agricultural machine attachment, wherein each attachment side is independently pivotable.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for independently pivoting the attachment sides of a multiple-part front agricultural machine attachment.
The above aspects are merely illustrative and should not be construed as all-inclusive.